Prevalence of Refractive Error in a Rural Ogoni Community in Southern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Refractive error, though not life-threatening, can negatively affect the quality of the socio-economic life of an individual, especially in a poor-resource setting.
Objective: To determine the prevalence and pattern of the distribution of refractive error in Kegbara-Dere community in Gokana local government area of Rivers State, Nigeria.
Methods: This study forms part of a baseline ocular health survey among the residents of Kegbara Dere (K-Dere), a community designated for community eye outreach in Gokana local government area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Visual acuity was tested outdoors using the Snellen chart and near vision with a near vision chart. Objective refraction was done in a darkened area with a streak retinoscope, and subjectively refined to determine the
refractive status of the subject. For this study, refractive error is defined as
presenting vision < 6/6 and improved by one or more lines on the Snellen chart when looking through the pinhole or with the aid of a minimum of 0.25D lens. Myopia was diagnosed when the correction of the eye was more than minus 0.25DS; hypermetropia, when the correction of the eye was > + 0.25DS. All astigmatic refractions were recorded at their spherical equivalent.
Results: The prevalence of refractive error was 28.5%. Of this,  hypermetropia was seen in 19.2%, while myopia was seen in 9.3% of the cases. Most of the study population (71.5%) were emmetropic. The  highest number of emmetropes and hypermetropes occurred in the 20-29 year age group, while most myopes were seen in the 50-59 year age group.

Conclusion: Refractive error constitutes a significant cause of ocular morbidity in Kegbara community.

Key words: refractive error, rural community